


25 Lives

by HimikoToga



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: I combined them, M/M, shu october, they get better from dying, yuzuru october
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 02:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 3,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20900474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HimikoToga/pseuds/HimikoToga
Summary: Would this be a life where Yuzuru earns those from him as well? Or would it be one where he only sees Shu from a distance, always a step away from a sweet embrace?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the poem "25 Lives" By Tongari

It is not the first time Yuzuru's been in a timeline simply admiring Shu from afar, appreciating his beauty, he's always beautiful. A stunning beauty with wits to match. 

Yuzuru's thankful to be in his presence, the few times they pass one another or, infrequently, appear on stage together. He's thankful to have run into Shu so early on in life, thankful to see as he smiles with companions and laughs with friends. Would this be a life where Yuzuru earns those from him as well? Or would it be one where he only sees Shu from a distance, always a step away from a sweet embrace? 

He goes to step forward, to wish Shu a good morning as he passes, but is interrupted. Another classmate greets him, stepping in front of him and blocking Shu from his view. He'll have to try again later today, maybe even tomorrow. But deep in his heart he knows this time, in this life, he'd surely hold Shu in his arms. He'd cease this cycle of rebirth and make sure they'd live together in the afterlife.

How, Yuzuru didn't know, but he was sure he'd manage it. He's only a step away from their future.


	2. Blonde

Shu's hair was blonde this time, held back in a high ponytail with brown eyes Yuzuru would get lost in. Yuzuru would watch backstage as Shu performed, Shu was a dancer, a talented one.

And being one of talent Shu had many suitors, Yuzuru being one of them. Yuzuru would bring Shu flowers after every show, telling Shu how beautiful they looked on stage. Yuzuru would tell Shu of how they admired the skill and grace Shu danced with, the passion they showed in the arts.

Each time Shu would laugh, taking the flowers and saying, "Try again tomorrow. I'm sure one of these days you'll get it."

But Yuzuru never got it. A new dancer joined the show, and although beautiful, she couldn't compare to Shu. Still, Shu fell in love. The two would spend their time laughing and talking after every show which soon led to them heading home together. One day that led to them heading home together and never returning.

A day passed then two and then three. On the third day Yuzuru began looking for clues to where Shu had gone,concerned over their love. Opening Shu's locker a note fell to the ground. It was a note of Shu's elopement, they had run off with that girl. They said they were sorry to leave the stage behind but the two craved a quiet life where they could live out their days peacefully.

Yuzuru crushed the note in their hand, disgusted that Shu has settled for someone like that. Then he had to inform the director that Shu had left.

Yuzuru worked at the stage as long as he could, hoping that one day Shu would return. But they never did. Even if they didn't return while Yuzuru was working, Yuzuru remained in the town, waiting and hoping that Shu would return despite their age to dance again. 

Yuzuru passed, never seeing Shu after their final dance but always thinking of them. "I hope we meet again," Yuzuru thought as their life slipped away.


	3. Brunette

This time Shu had brown hair, cut short but still refined, showing Shu was of wealth.

While Shu was of wealth, Yuzuru was of the slums. Yet they were still in love. Each night Shu would sneak from their home to meet Yuzuru in the town garden in the gazebo. Yuzuru would always remember the love they saw in Shu's eyes, the smile they had underneath the moonlight.

Sometimes they had picnics, sometimes they sang together and sometimes they'd dance underneath the stars. Every night was a gift Yuzuru still held dear to his heart, wondering if it'd happen again.

One day Shu came to the gazebo excitedly, "I've got you something," they said, holding a sealed envelope out to Yuzuru.

Yuzuru took the envelope gingerly in their hands, "What's this?"

"You'll see when you open it!" Shu said, taking a seat next to Yuzuru.

Yuzuru smiled, these antics of Shu would always be thought of as adorable, and then opened up the envelope. "A ticket to a ball?" They said, pulling a slip of something out.

"Yes." Shu got up and spun around. "This way I'll be able to demonstrate our love and no one could say anything. I know how to show we're meant to be together."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? What would your family say?" Yuzuru asked.

"Don't worry, I have it all planned out." Shu said, tapping the side of their head with their finger.

Yuzuru couldn't help but smile. Shu seemed so sure of themself. "If you say so I trust you."

Shu smiled brightly, extending their hand out. "Would you like to practice before the dance?"

Yuzuru rose up, taking Shu's hand. "I'll take you up on that." Then they placed one hand on Shu's waist and held Shu's hand with the other. The two danced until the sun began to rise and they each had to hurry home, hoping their parents wouldn't catch them.

Yuzuru didn't have a proper suit to wear to the ball but they wore their finest clothes. The guard of the dance looked at them like they didn't belong, Yuzuru knew they didn't belong, yet with a ticket they were let inside.

The moon shown through the glass ceiling, and following the glows of the moon Yuzuru saw Shu, their brown hair illuminated by the sky. They waved Yuzuru over, a look of joy on their face. Yuzuru doesn't hide the fact they rushed over to Shu but Shu does the same, the two meeting halfway.

Shu greeted Yuzuru with a kiss and Yuzuru noticed couples around them slow. They must be in shock someone as low class as me is with someone so high class, Yuzuru thought. Those thoughts faded away as Shu pulled back with a smile, a lovely one as always. 

"Shall we dance?" Shu said and Yuzuru nodded. They go to place their hand on Shu's waist but they shake their head, "I'll lead this time, okay?"

Yuzuru smiled, "Of course, if you want it I'll get it for you." Shu grinned in response, putting their hand on Yuzuru's waist and gripping Yuzuru's hand with their free hand.

As they dance across the floor other couples avoid them, displeased with the mismatched classes of the pair. Yuzuru paid them all no mind, every second they spent dancing would be worth the world leaving them behind.

Suddenly, Yuzuru no longer felt Shu's hand on their waist. "I told you I figured out a way for us to be together. Let's demonstrate our love." Shu whispered into their ear before Yuzuru felt a sharp pain in their back.

Feeling a wet spot form on their back, Yuzuru slipped from Shu's hold. "Tonight," Shu shouted to the people, holding a bloody dagger in their hand, "I'll show you that class cannot separate love. May you fools watch as true love dies with us." Yuzuru watched Shu speak, waving the dagger around. And then, Shu plunged the dagger into their chest, falling on top of Yuzuru.

Yuzuru heard the screams and gasps of the room as they felt Shu's blood drip over their back. They could feel Shu's breath slow and then stop. And then Yuzuru closed their eyes and waited to join Shu.


	4. Alone

This time Shu doesn't exist so Yuzuru pondered if the color of Shu's hair had anything to do with their love. Yuzuru decided that, no, it does not. What happened between their love life was as free as the wind, it was not controlled by anything. But Yuzuru knew they'd always be in love with Shu.

Yuzuru married someone who reminded him of Shu. A beautiful boy with a bright smile who was talented in song. Still, no matter how tight he held Yuzuru, Yuzuru would always dream of Shu.

How sometimes Shu hated them while sometimes Shu loved him. How sometimes they danced together, sometimes they sang together and sometimes they laid together. How it felt to kiss Shu and how it felt to be killed by Shu. All these thoughts ran through Yuzuru's head as they dreamt.

Yuzuru died young this time, with their memories plagued by Shu and the knowledge that Shu would never exist drove them to give up. The love from their husband could never make up for the loss they had from living in a world without Shu.

In their note they wrote of true love and how they knew they'd find it one day. And as Yuzuru drifted away they dreamt of holding Shu in their arms again.


	5. Childhood

This time Shu is a childhood friend of Yuzuru's. They grew up as neighbors, having playdates throughout their lives.

They'd share hiding places-

"I have something to show you," Shu said as a child, offering a hand out to Yuzuru, "But you have to promise to keep it a secret."

"I promise." Yuzuru said.

"No, you have to promise promise. A super secret promise." Shu said, not convinced that Yuzuru was telling the truth.

"I promise promise. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." Yuzuru was firm in getting Shu to believe them.

"Good!" Shu said, grabbing Yuzuru by the wrist and guiding them out into the woods. It feels like a short walk, anytime the two spent together felt too short, the two talking and joking the whole time before arriving in front of a van.

It's worn down and broken and the earth has started to reclaim it. There's vines growing in and out of windows and grass covering the wheels. Shu smiled proudly. "This is my hiding spot. It's super secret but today you get to see it. Because you're my bestest friend!"

Yuzuru doesn't understand why their heart swells at being called bestest or why their heartbeat flutters over knowing they're the only one to know Shu's secret place. "You're my bestest friend too." And Yuzuru smiled.

Shu led them inside the van, past the door which had long since been stuck open. There's grass, weeds, and flowers growing inside the bus, on the ground and between the cushions. "Isn't it cool?" Shu asked, flopping down on one of the seats. 

Yuzuru sat down besides them, looking around the inside. "Yeah. It's real cool. How'd you find it?" They asked.

"I found it when I was explorin'!" Shu proudly announced.

"You were exploring without me?" Yuzuru interjected.

"You were sick that day. I had to do something." Shu said. "But now you're better and I can show you my secret spot. It's our secret spot now." Shu then smiled once again and Yuzuru began memorizing their face. They were missing a baby tooth, it has gotten knocked out when the two were playing catch, there was a bandaid on their cheek, Yuzuru knew Shu had taken a tumble. Their eyelashes were long, casting shadows on their cheek and their eyes were mismatched colors, Yuzuru always found that interesting. 

"Hey! Are you listening?" Shu asked, snapping Yuzuru back. "Were you not listening to me?" Shu pouted.

"I was just thinking you were super cute. Like the cutest." Yuzuru said and Shu's face flushed.

They'd share their sorrows-

Shu's sobbing, the umbrella they were holding falling to the ground. Yuzuru had grabbed their arm, stopping them from running away.

"Leave me alone!" Shu shouted, yanking their arm back as tears stream down their cheeks.

"I won't!" Yuzuru shouted back. 

"Why not?" Shu tried to move away again but Yuzuru once again gripped their arm.

"Because-Because I love you!" Yuzuru said and Shu paused. All was silent for a moment besides the pouring rain

"You do?" Shu's voice was small.

"I do! I always have!" Yuzuru's grip tightened on Shu's arm. 

Silence fell over the two of them again. Yuzuru watched Shu's chest rise and fall with every breath as they waited for a response, something, anything to be said. 

"If I came clean I was worried I'd lose you. I was content being by your side for all eternity if it meant we were friends." Yuzuru continued, "But it hurt to see you in the arms of another and it hurt more to see how broken they leave you. You're worth the world to me."

Shu swallowed, not breaking eye contact. "I am?" 

"You are and always will be." Yuzuru said, releasing Shu's arm and hoping they don't run away.

Shu muttered the name Yuzuru possessed in this life before saying. "If that's true...If that's true that means you can't leave me!"

Yuzuru's taken aback for a moment, not sure what Shu meant by that. Seeing how Yuzuru was lost Shu spoke up again, "I mean..." Shu reached forward to take Yuzuru's hand. "You should be with me. Forever, okay?"

Yuzuru nodded and clutched Shu's hand, "Nothing would make me happier."

They share their secrets-

"My family has shared the same engagement ring for centuries." Yuzuru said.

"Hm?" Shu said, cuddled up against Yuzuru on the couch with their cat purring in their lap.

Yuzuru fiddled with something in their hand, something Shu couldn't make out. Yuzuru started out saying Shu's current name, "I've got it."

"You've got what?" Shu cocked their head to the side, not following the conversation.

"My mother gave it to me. The ring that is." Yuzuru said.

"The ring?" Suddenly it all clicks in Shu's mind. "The ring!" 

Yuzuru gets off the couch so they can kneel down in front Shu. "Will you marry me?"

Shu burst into tears, covering their mouth with their hands. "Yes! A thousand times yes!"

Yuzuru smiled, holding the ring out. Shu extended their left hand so Yuzuru can slide the ring on their finger. Shu held their hand out, staring at the ring as tears of joy fell from their eyes. 

"My grandmother doesn't know I have this." Yuzuru started, "So I can't imagine she'll be too happy about this."

"That old biddy is never happy about anything." Shu said. "Don't let her tramp on your happiness."

"Let's not tell her until the wedding invitations are out." Yuzuru suggested, one bad idea of many the two had together. 

Shu smiled, "I think that's a great idea."

It's marriage then a house then a son. It's watching their kid grow up, hand in hand. It's crying sweet tears as they watch their son kiss his bride. It's celebrating their anniversaries all across the world but always within arms reach of one another. Eventually it's sitting side by side in the living room, reminiscing about the past they shared from secret hiding spots to confessions in the rain.

And one day it's holding Shu's hand in the hospital bed. Yuzuru was growing weak, every breath more shallow than the last. "I'll find you in the next life," They mumbled and Shu leaned in, kissing Yuzuru on the cheek.

"I'm sure you will. Just wait for me." Shu squeezed Yuzuru's hand.

And they stayed hand in hand until Yuzuru passed on.


	6. Adulthoood

It's different when they meet as adults. Shu doesn't go along with Yuzuru's stupid ideas as much.-

Yuzuru's been staring at a box of kittens in the street for what felt like fifteen minutes at this point. They're holding their umbrella over the kittens to prevent them from getting wet. They're debating bringing them home to their shitty apartment they shared with Shu.

Shu would be tired from a long day of work no doubt, would they even be able to stand seeing a box full of wet kittens? Yuzuru decided that's a bridge they'll cross when they get there. They rest their umbrella on the shoulder and picked up the box, heading home.

Shu came home earlier than expected, Yuzuru was in the middle of drying off one of the kittens. Shu stopped, looking at Yuzuru. There's silence between the two before Yuzuru held up a kitten.

"What are those?" Shu asked.

"Kittens. I found them." Shu opened their mouth but Yuzuru continued on speaking. "They were out in the rain. And homeless."

"So you brought them here?" Shu asked, taking off their coat and their shoes before trudging over to a chair and tossing themself down on it.

"Yeah." Yuzuru said.

Shu looked at them, exasperated. "And you want to keep them?"

"Yeah." Yuzuru said.

Shu sighed. "You know we can't do that." Shu saw how down Yuzuru seemed so they kept explaining themself. "We don't have the space and the money for all of them."

Yuzuru goes to insist they can manage them all before stopping to think then saying something different all together. "All of them?" They asked.

"We can keep one. But we have to find homes for the rest of them." Shu said.

"Good homes?" Yuzuru followed up.

"Of course good ones. We'll keep them until we can find them homes too. No shelters." Shu said with a nod and Yuzuru's face lit up with joy.

-But they always forgave them.

One of those tiny kittens because a family pet. They call it Joy. Joy followed them from shitty apartment to a nice apartment to a home where it was joined by a friendly puppy. While Joy didn't take to the puppy at first it soon became a part of the family.

And when Shu died in that car accident the two were the only family Yuzuru had. He held them and cried, cried when the two waited at the door for Shu to come home. 

"You're so stupid," Yuzuru sobbed, holding Joy in his arms. "Don't you get it? They're never coming home! They're dead!" The puppy wagged its tail and ran circles around Yuzuru and Joy purred. They didn't understand why Yuzuru was so beaten up over this. "They're never, ever coming home." Yuzuru couldn't stop their tears from flowing. It felt like they'd never stop, like how Shu would never return home and how Yuzuru would never get over it.

Joy placed a paw on Yuzuru's face and the puppy wriggled under Yuzuru's arm to lick at Yuzuru's face. Eventually, through those two's combined actions Yuzuru's sobs slow. They weren't going to get over Shu's death but they couldn't sit here and sob. These two needed them, Shu wouldn't let them give up so easily either. Shu would tell Yuzuru to keep moving forward, to hold their head up high and greet the world with all they have.

They balanced the cat in one arm so they could squeeze the puppy in a hug. These two were still family. And Yuzuru knew they'd see Shu again, they'd meet up and hold each other once again. For now Yuzuru would watch over the family they had right now.


	7. Fleeting

Yuzuru waited their whole life to meet Shu and when it finally happened Yuzuru felt sparks through their body.

Shu had dropped their keys on a busy street and Yuzuru held knelt down to pick them up. Their fingers brushed together and Yuzuru resisted the urge to jump back like they'd been shocked, resisted the urge to shiver as chills ran through their body. Before anything could happen Shu stood up with a smile. 

"Thank you for your help," They said as Yuzuru stood up as well. They extended their hand for Yuzuru to take.

"It's my pleasure." Yuzuru said, shaking Shu's hand. They wished it would last longer but it lasted for only a few fleeting minutes.

"Oh! I'm running late." Shu said, looking at their watch. "I have to go!" Shu scurried off.

Yuzuru was frozen for a moment before whipping around, meaning to ask Shu for a number, name or address but they were gone. Blended into the busy crowd for Yuzuru to never see again.


	8. Death

They're standing on a battlefield, Shu's sword pointing at Yuzuru's throat.

"I didn't want it to come to this," Shu said, "It's not too late to switch sides. Fight against the church with me."

"I'm afraid I can't." Yuzuru said. "They'll surely kill my family if I do."

"You can make a new family with me." Shu seemed earnest, even relaxing their blade slightly.

For a moment a world spent with Shu passed behind their eyes. Something so close Yuzuru could almost touch it. And then Yuzuru smiled sadly. "I wish I could."

"I wish you could too." Shu then drew back their arm and plunged the blade into Yuzuru's throat as tears streamed down Shu's face. They dropped to the ground and held Yuzuru against their chest, weeping at a love once lost.

But Yuzuru though having Shu as the last thing he sees wasn't an ending Yuzuru would protest.


	9. Epilogue

Is this the last time? Yuzuru sometimes wonders to himself. Is this the last time he'd ever see Shu? Would the two drift apart in space and never meet again?

Is this really you? Yuzuru would sometimes I ask himself, but no, he is sure this is Shu. He always knows when he meets Shu. He can always feel the sparks shoot through his body when they first make eye contact. He always feels chills down his spine when they make contact with one another.

Perhaps Shu would be happy without him. Shu had many friends in this life, people he shares unbreakable bonds with. Could Yuzuru really mean something to Shu this time? It would be understandable if he isn't. Yuzuru would never burn as brightly as Shu. Shu is like the sun, burning brilliantly, lighting up the lives of everyone around him. Yet he is also like the moon, casting a gentle, relaxing light that it feels lovely to bask in. 

But even if he will never shine as brightly, Yuzuru would follow Shu through every life time. 

Yuzuru walks over to the table Shu's sitting and places his bento on the table. "May I sit with you?" He asks with a smile.

"If you must." Shu says, not paying Yuzuru much attention.

-Because one day he knows Shu will return to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one but I hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> All future chapters will have gender neutral pronouns unless referring to their current selves. This way you can choose whatever gender identity they have for that chapter!


End file.
